Emma

Name: Emma
Brand: Findaway
Availability: InStock
Author: Jane Austen
ISBN: 9781805362739

Author: Jane Austen

Narrator: Rachel Atkins

Unabridged: 17 hr 10 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: SNR Audio

Published: 08/07/2024

Categories: Fiction, Classic

Synopsis

"A woman is not to marry a man merely because she is asked, or because he is attached to her, and can write a tolerable letter." Jane Austen famously described Emma Woodhouse as "a heroine whom no one but myself will much like" and yet this timeless and witty tale of romance, manners, and the lessons of experience has become one of the author's most popular and beloved novels. Set in the small village of Highbury during the early 19th century, Emma is a remarkable comedy of manners. Beautiful, rich, spoilt but essentially kind, Emma organizes the lives of the inhabitants of her sleepy little village, creating misunderstandings and chaos as she tries to find a suitor for her friend. It's only when her well‑meant meddling unravels that shes finally sees her own heart clearly and realises that perhaps it isn't the lives of others that she must try to transform. With its imperfect but charming heroine and its subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen's most flawless work. Jane Austen (1775–1817) is one of the most enduring voices in English literature, celebrated for her sharp wit, keen social insight, and unforgettable portrayals of love, class, and character. From Pride and Prejudice to Emma and Mansfield Park, Austen's novels blend humour, romance, and a clear‑eyed understanding of human nature in plots that often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Though she published anonymously during her lifetime, Austen's novels have rarely been out of print and have become cornerstones of English Literature. Her sharp observations of class, courtship, and character continue to resonate with audiences worldwide and have inspired countless adaptations across film, television, and theatre.

About Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, to the Reverend George Austen and his wife, Cassandra Leigh Austen, in the village of Steventon in Hampshire, England. Though her mother was from a family of gentry, Jane's father was not well off, and the large family had to take in school boarders to make ends meet. The second youngest of the Austens' eight children, Jane was very close to her elder, and only, sister, Cassandra, and neither sister ever married. Both girls were educated at home, as many were at that time.

From a young age Jane wrote satires and read them aloud to her appreciative family. Though she completed the manuscripts of two full-length novels while living at Steventon, these were not published. Later, these novels were revised into the form under which they were published, as Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, respectively.

In 1801, George Austen retired from the clergy, and Jane, Cassandra, and their parents took up residence in Bath, a fashionable town Jane liked far less than her native village. Jane seems to have written little during this period. When Mr. Austen died in 1805, the three women, Mrs. Austen and her daughters, moved first to Southampton and then, partly subsidized by Jane's brothers, occupied a house in Chawton, a village not unlike Jane's first home. There she began to work on writing and pursued publishing once more, leading to the anonymous publication of Sense and Sensibility in 1811 and Pride and Prejudice in 1813, to modestly good reviews.

Known for her cheerful, modest, and witty character, Jane Austen had a busy family and social life but very little direct romantic experience. Her last years were quiet and devoted to family, friends, and writing her final novels. In 1817 she had to interrupt work on her last and unfinished novel, Sanditon, because she fell ill. She died on July 18, 1817, in Winchester, where she had been taken for medical treatment. After her death, her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published, together with a biographical notice, due to the efforts of her brother Henry. Austen is buried in Winchester Cathedral.

Reviews

There are currently no user reviews for this audiobook.